Cabinet, including retractable caster device



Aug. 20, 1957 R. J. cA-RBARY CABINET, INCLUDING RETRACTABLE CAS TERDEVICE Filed April 2, 1954 FIG.I

FIG. 2

' INVENTOR. RICHARD J. CARBARY HIS ATTORNEY nited ht CABINET, INCLUDINGRETRACTABLE CASTER DEVICE Richard J. Carhary, Syracuse, N. Y., assignorto General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application April2, 1954, Serial No. 420,629 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-253) the floor toanother.

Refrigerators and other household or kitchen appliances such as ranges,washing machines, dryers and the like are ordinarily provided withrather large supporting surfaces so that they will rest on acomparatively large area of the floor thereby preventing orsubstantially reducing the likelihood of permanent indentations in thefioor due to the weight of the appliance. However, it is occasionallydesirable to move the appliance from its normal position for cleaningbeneath or behind the-appliance or for some other purpose and it istherefore desirable to provide a caster arrangement which can be broughtinto use at such times. It is, of course, not feasible to provide anyheavy piece of furniture with permanent casters due to the relativelysmall bearing surface area of the wheels or rollers.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a retractablecaster assembly of the above character which is simple and inexpensive,which is ordinarily hidden from view by the cabinet structure, and whichis accessible from the outside of the cabinet to facilitate theoperation of bringing the caster mechanism into operation when desired.

It is also desirable to provide in combination with a refrigerator orsimilar cabinet structure adjustable legs to facilitate the leveling ofthe appliance where the flooror other supporting surface is relativelyuneven. It is accordingly a further object of the invention to providein combination with such a leveling means a caster arrangement whichtogether form an integral part of the cabinet structure.

In carrying out the objects of the present invention there is providedin combination with a cabinet having a rigid supporting structure, acaster assembly or device adapted to be pivotally mounted on the cabinetstructure and including an elongated frame member having castersrotatably mounted thereon. The frame member is arranged to be pivotallyconnected to one end, as for example the rear, of the cabinet structurewhile the other end of the frame member including means for raising andlowering the caster device is mounted on the other end of the cabinetstructure. In accordance with the preferred modification of theinvention the cabinet is provided with vertically adjustable legs andthe means for lowering the caster device to its operable position iscombined with and forms part of the adjustable leg structure.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a front elevational view,partly in section, of a refrigerator cabinet incorporating an embodimentof the present invention, and

atcnt 1 having at the lowermost end thereof a machinery com-- partment 2defined by a rigid supporting frame structure including a rear wall 3and a forward wall 4. The machinery compartment 2 is below the foodstorage compartment and is separated therefrom by an insulatingpartition 5. Normally the cabinet is supported upon a supporting surface6 by means of the rear legs 7 which are fixed to'the cabinet structureand adjustable front legs 8, it being understood of course that therewill ordinarily be provided two-rear legs and two front legs percabinet.

The adjustable front legs 8 each comprise a threaded vertically arrangedstud 9 threadably mounted on a supporting bracket 10 fixed to thecabinet structure and forming a part thereof. Pads or feet 11 secured tothe lower end of the'stud 9 provide a relatively flat supporting surfaceof substantial area for the cabinet. Each of the supporting legs 8 canbe moved vertically with reference to the cabinet structure by looseningthe locking nut 12 so that the stud can be rotated one way or the otherwith reference to the threaded bracket 10 to raise or lower the foot 11.After the leg has been brought to the proper position for leveling thecabinet, the locking nut 12 is again rotated into a locking positionwith reference to the horizontal portion 13 of the bracket. Theadjustable legs 8 will in most cases be hidden from viewby a toe plate(not shown) mounted on the front of the cabinet.

The retractable caster device of the present invention whichis generallyindicated by the numeral 15, comprises an elongated inverted framemember 16 of inverted U- shaped cross section on which are journaled therear and front casters 17 and 18. This caster assembly is pivotallysecured to the one end of the cabinet structure and is mounted at theother end on the stud 9 forming part of the adjustable leg 8. Thepivotal mounting of the elongated frame member 16 on the rear wall 3 ofthe cabinet structure is obtained by inserting the end 17 of the framemember 16 through an aperture 18 formed in the rear wall 3 of thecabinet. The forward end of the frame member 16 is provided with aprojection 19 having an aperture 20 therein which is adapted to bereceived on the stud 9. The aperture 20 is of a size such that thecaster frame structure 16 can be moved easily up and down on the studand still be held in pivoted relationship with the aperture 18 on therear wall 3 of the cabinet. Means for lowering the caster device so thatthe cabinet 1 is supported on the casters rather than on the legs isprovided in the form of a hand wheel 21 threaded onto the stud 9 abovethe projection 19.

Normally the hand wheel 21 will be positioned adjacent the top of thestud 9 in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. In this position thecabinet 1 is supported on the rear leg 7 and the adjustable legs 8 andthe caster device is held in its raised position by contact of the rearcaster 17 with the supporting surface as shown in the dotted linepositions of these elements in Fig. 1. When it is desired to move thecabinet, the hand wheel 21 is screwed downwardly on the stud 9 so thatthe caster device also brings the front wheel 18 into engagement withthe supporting surface to raise the cabinet from the supporting surfaceto a position in which the entire weight of the cabinet is carried bythe casters 17 and 18 in the full line position shown in Fig. 1. Thecaster device is retained in its lowered full-line position only longenough to permit the cabinet 1 to be shifted from one place to anotheron the floor or other supporting surface. There-' after the handle 21 isturned on the stud 9 to its normal position adjacent the top of the studwhereby the cabinet Patented Aug. 20, 1951 1 is lowered onto the floorto a position in which it is again supported by the legs 7 and 8 toprovide a bearing surface of comparatively large area between thecabinet and the supporting surface. 7

From the above description it will be seen that there has been provideda caster device of simple and inexpensive construction which can bereadily adapted for use with a refrigerator cabinet or other applianceof similar type and which is sufliciently rugged to support the entireweight of the cabinet when that becomes necessary. Since the pivotalsupport for the rear portion of the caster device merely comprises anaperture in the rear wall 3 forming part of the cabinet supportstructure through which the rear end 17 of the channel member 16 extendsand since the stud 9 forming part of the leveling or adjustable leg 8comprises the main portion of the anchoring and operating mechanism forthe forward portion of the caster device, it will be seen that thisarrangement is of simple construction and of relatively lowmanufacturing cost.

The caster assembly is easily removable from the refrigerator cabinet 1merely by completely removing the hand wheel 21 from the upper portionof the stud 9 after which the extension 19 can be lifted from the upperend of the stud and the entire caster assembly removed through I theforward part of the cabinet structure.

If desired the hand wheel 21 can be employed for the purpose ofadjusting the height of the leg 8. To carry out this operation the handwheel 21 is left in its dotted line position as shown in Fig. 1 and thelocking nut 12 is rotated on the stud 9 upwardly into engagement withthe lower portion of the hand wheel 21. In this position the locking nut12 will prevent rotation of the hand wheel 21 on the stud so that therotation of the hand wheel 21 is imparted to the stud to lower the pador foot 11 with ref erence to the cabinet structure. After the pad 11has been lowered a distance sutficient to accomplish the desiredleveling of the cabinet 1, the locking nut 12 is again returned to itslocking position with reference to the hori zontal portion 13 of thebracket 10.

While there has been shown and described a specific embodiment of thepresent invention, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the particular consruction shown and described and it isintended by the appended claims to cover all modifications within thespirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In combination, a rigid supporting structure, a vertically adjustableleg at one end of said structure said leg including a verticallydisposed stud threadably mounted on said structure for verticaladjustment of said leg, a caster assembly including an elongated framemember and casters mounted thereon adjacent each end of said member, oneend of said member being slidably arranged on said stud, an aperture inthe other end of said structure, the other end of said frame memberextending into said aperture and being retained therein by said stud,and means on said stud for lowering said caster device.

2. In combination, a rigid frame structure, a Vertically adjustable legat one end of said structure, a fixed leg at the other end of saidstructure, said adjustable leg including a vertical stud threadablymounted on said frame structure for vertical adjustment of saidadjustable leg, a caster device including an elongated frame member andcasters mounted thereon adjacent each end of said member, one end ofsaid member having an opening therein for receiving said stud, anaperture in the other end of said structure adjacent the fixed leg, theother end of said frame member loosely extending into said aperture andbeing retained therein by said stud, and a hand wheel threaded on saidstud above said frame member for engagement therewith for effectinglowering of said caster device.

3. In combination, a rigid frame structure, a vertically adjustable legat one end of said structure, said leg including a vertically disposedstud threadably mounted on said frame structure for vertical adjustmentthereof, a caster device including an elongated frame member and castersmounted adjacent each end of said member, one end of said member beingslidably arranged on said stud, an aperture in the other end of saidstructure, the other end of said frame member extending into saidaperture and being retained therein by said stud, a hand Wheel threadedon said stud above said one end of said frame member and engageabletherewith to lower said caster device to a position wherein said framestructure is supported by said caster device, said caster device beingnormally held in a raised position by contact of the caster adjacentsaid other end of said frame member with the surface supporting saidframe structure.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS146,997 Eddy Feb. 3, 1874 234,496 Simmons Nov. 16, 1880 248,753 HustonOct. 25, 1881 1,482,527 Simpson Feb. 5, 1924 2,094,522 Blake Sept. 28,1937

